Concentrator.



PATENTBD NOV. 29, 1904.

F. TfLBl STRANGE.

GONGENTRATOB.. ArrLIoATIoN FILED JAN. 1e, 1904..

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2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WMNESSE TTORNEY Imm-yi.,

No. 776,189. PATENTBD NOV. 29,1904.

` F. T. LB STRANGE.

GONCENTRATOR.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.16, 1904.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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UNITED STATES Patented November 29, 1904.

FREDERICK T. LE STRANGE, OF SYRACUSE, NEV YORK.

CONCENTRATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 776,189, dated November 29, 1904.

Application filed January 16, 1904. Serial No. 189,246. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t 11i/ty concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK T. Ln STRANGE, a citizen of the United States, vand a resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements'inConcentrators, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to the class of concentrators which are designed to collect gold and other precious minerals from the slime produced in the process of mining by means of water under pressure impinging the crude minerals in their natural bed; and the invention consists in the novel construction of the concentrator, which is eflicient and convenient in its operation, all as hereinafter explained, and summed up in the claim.

In the annexed drawings, Figure l is an isometric perspective View of a concentrator embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of thesame. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section on line .fr in Fig. 2. Fig. 4. is an enlarged transverse section on line 1/ y in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the lower end portion of the concentrator, showing the gate in its two operative positions.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the table upon which the process of concentrating the precious metals is practiced. A plurality of such tables may be placed side .by'side and used in succession. They are inclined in corresponding direction to one end and preferably adjustable in their angle of inclination, for which purpose the elevated ends of the tables are fastened to a transverse bolster B, the bottom -of which is convexed and seated in correspondinglyshaped recesses in plates C, mounted on a suitable firm foundation D.

To the under side of the lower ends of the tables is rigidly secured a cross-bar a, which is provided with screw-threaded vertical holes, through which pass screws b, stepped in metallic sockets c, mounted on suitable foundations O. By turning the screws b the lower ends of the tables are raised or lowered to desiredangle of inclination. Each of said tables is provided at its lower end with a gate d, which extends across the table and is pivoted to the longitudinal rails e e of the table, so as to allow the gate to be set into either a rearwardly or forwardly inclined position, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Beneath the lower end of the table is a concentrate trough or box I, disposed to receive the heavy material passing from the concentrating-table A through the forwardly-inclined open gate d. Immediately back of the trough or box I is a waste-sluice J, into which is delivered the refuse and lighter material by the gate turned into a rearwardly-inclined position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The top surface of the table A is provided with minute recesses disposed in rows and crossed by intervening minute ribs to collect the precipitated minerals or concentrates upon the surface. To obtain such form of surface, I prefer to spread over the top of the table a suitable cloth f of a proper .texture to allow water to seep through it without permitting the concentrates to penetrate.

The subjacent top of the table I provide with slots g g or other suitable vents for the escape of the aforesaid water.

L designates a trough or box which is disposed to receive the overflow from the box I.

` N represents the supply-sluice for conveying` the mineral slime to the concentrators. Said sluice extends along the upper ends of theY concentrators and is provided with discharge-passages /L /L in the Vside facing the concentrating-tables A and with gatesvlc'for opening and closing said passages.

The sluice N is disposed in a higher plane than the upper ends of ,the tables A A and has extending from its side inclined conductors P P, which lead from the opening to the upper ends of said tables.

To distribute the slime uniformly upon the tables, I form the conductors of graduallyincreasing width, so asto extend completely across the ends of the tables, and upon each of the said conductors I fasten diverging ribs Z Z, which are tapered to their upper ends and serve to uniformly distribute the slime pass-A IOO pressure from a suitable source.

ing over the conductor to the table A. 'To more eectually spread the slime over the table, I arrange these ribs in two sets, one of which sets extends the entire length of the conductor and constitutes the main distributingribs. Those of the other set constitute auxiliary ribs and extend from the lower end of the conductor part way the length thereof, and they are disposed alternately between the main ribs. The said conductor is entirely open across its wider end in order not to interfere with the spreading of the slime.

R represents a pipe receiving water under (Notshown.) To the said pipe is detachably connected a hose j', which is provided with a suitable noz- Zle t on its free end. The pipe R is provided with a suitable valve @for controlling the flow of water to the hose j.

VIn practicing my invention one of the gates c' is opened to allow the slime to pass from the supply-sluice N to one of the tables A, upon which the heavy minerals are allowed to settle, while the water and light minerals flow olf from the lower end of the table and are conducted to the waste-sluice J bythe gate d, turned into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Said position of the gate serves to retard the escape of the light minerals sufiiciently to allow the heavy minerals to settle and precipitate on the cloth cover f of the table. After one of the tables A has been thus set in operation the gate z' thereat is closed, and the next gate i is opened to allow the slime to pass from the sluice N to the succeeding table A, in which the slime is treated in the same manner as before described. After an elapse of suliicient time to allow the heavy and precious metal to settle in the meshes of the cloth cover f of the table the valve fu is opened to allow the water under pressure to pass through thehose j. By proper manipulation of the nozzle of this hose the water issuing therefrom is thrown upon the slime retarded on the table.

This slime is thus flushed and washed from the table, from whence it is conducted to the refuse-sluice j by the gate (Z, turned into the position represented by dotted lines in Fig. 5 of the drawings. In the meantime the precious metal is retained in the meshes of the cloth cover f, from which it may be subsequently removed in any suitable manner, preferably by increasing the inclination of the table and forcing water over the top of the cover.

What I claim as my invention is- A concentrator comprising front and rear foundations, plates mounted on the rear foundation, an inclined concentrating-table provided under its elevated end with a transverse bolster having a convex bottom seated in correspondingly-shaped recesses in said plates, metallic sockets mounted on the front foundation, a cross-bar secured to the under side of the lower end of the table and provided with screw-threaded vertical holes, screws passing through said holes and stepped in said sockets and operative for adjusting the table to different degrees of inclination, the top of the table provided with vents for escape of water, a cloth cover spread over said top, a supplysluice extending along the upper end of the table, a conductor leading from said sluice to the upper end of the table and of graduallyincreasing width and entirely open across its wider end, main slime-distributers and auxiliary slime-distributers fastened to said conductor, means controlling the discharge from the supply-sluice to the conductor, a universally-movable flushing device, a concentratebox and a waste-sluice under the lower end of the table, and a gate connected adjustably to said end of the table to communicate with either the said box or latter sluice as set forth.

FREDERICK T. LE STRANGE.

I/Vitn esses:

W. H. MnInR, Jr., J. J. LAAss. 

